The Sacred Circle: Lore
by Koritsune
Summary: This is the lore to the upcoming The Secret Circle Project spin-off The Sacred Circle. Over the next four weeks or so we will be uploading a new chapter per week introducing you to the town of Sleepy Hollow and the Sacred Circle. This is in no way needed to understand the upcoming story, but it will add to the experience. Please Read & Review!
1. The Sacred Circle

Sleepy Hollow

The town of Sleepy Hollow is extremely different than that of any other - it is a town where a majority of the populace are witches. The most common theory for this is that rumors of the Circle had spread quickly throughout the magical community and therefore many migrated there to the welcome haven in addition to the dense population already being magical.

Due to its small size the townspeople can often easily recognize one another and magic is practiced out in the open for the most part - save for when a 'normal' (a term used for the non magical) is present. Due to this many tourists have claimed to witness unexplainable phenomena and have given the town a mysterious haunted vibe that only true witches know the truth hidden just beneath the stories.

Sacred Circle:

The Sacred Circle is the main circle of Sleepy Hollow, it is the Circle comprised of the 6 main families (Meyers, McDowell, Bellerose, Kingston, Victor and Maxwell). It is the most powerful recorded Circle in existence, its members are highly regarded - almost to the point of worship. In this regard many circles even consider them to be the authorities of magic, the most powerful force against any oncoming evil.

Families:

Bellerose

This family specializes in Projection Magic.

The Bellerose family is the most respected of all the families in Sleepy Hollow, it is the family who organized the retreat away from Salem and recruited the other families. They are known to be cool and collected at all times (or as most as one could hope), additionally this family is typically the elected leader of the Circle.

They certainly live up to this reputation as they are the most active in house family, constantly checking in on other families outside of Circle business and ensuring the wellbeing of all witches living with them (even those not directly related to their Circle). It is because of their active presence that the McDowells have always had a fondness for them since they take care of the Circle during their absences.

McDowell

This family specializes in Summoning Magic.

The McDowell family is easily the largest of all the families in members who actively practice in Sleepy Hollow, though one that prefers to abstain from most conflicts. However, they are unafraid to speak their mind when they deem it necessary and in most cases the other families will follow.

Reasons for this families persona vary, the prominent one being that most of the family is never present in Sleepy Hollow for long - except for the family Archon and Archmage. Family members are always out in the world seeking shrines to long forgotten gods and spirits so they can forge pacts with them and use them for battle, or whatever utility uses they may provide - although the later is rare.

Meyers

This family specializes in Strengthening Magic.

The Meyers family is the youngest of the families to join Sleepy Hollow, for this reason they tend to be less respected by the other families. This family is always open about their opinions and feelings when it comes to Circle matters, painting them as the child.

This is further propagated into family members, many of the principal personalities vary from an enthusiastic child to a hell-bent rebel. Despite their childlike behavior and lack of respect they have always been fiercely loyal to the Circle, in addition to being the most liberal. Children in this family are not subjected under any pressure to practice magic and many have completely abandoned their magical heritage and lead perfectly normal lives.

Kingston

This family specializes in Alchemy Magic.

The Kingston family is the smallest of the Sleepy Hollow families, this is not because of a lack of power but the opposite. The Kingstons were the ones who created the concept of the Magic Crest and they value it so highly that they wouldn't dare 'dilute the family blood', thus there's extreme pressure on all members of the family to conceive only one child.

The Kingstons are the most reserved of the families for their personal affairs, and keep their private life just that - private. Due to this not much is known about them except they are both a force to be revered and feared.

Victor

This family specializes in Healing / Defense Magic.

The Victor family is the most elusive of all the other families, in terms of their time before the move to Sleepy Hollow, any inquiries to it are often responded with 'no comment' or 'is our performance not satisfactory?' and 'Why is it relevant?'. Despite this they are an extremely wise family often being acclaimed to having a sixth sense about things; this has lead them to be mildly arrogant when compared to the others. They are usually right, and they usually know it.

Despite their secretive past they are extremely open and cooperative, always ready to lend a hand (and though never tested, could very well be willing to sacrifice one of their own). In house the family is tightly knit they are each others best friends (and even suspected of incest), this however has had some throwbacks where their personal matters have interfered with Circle business. For which they promptly apologize once the conflict is resolved.

Maxwell

This family specializes in Elemental Magic.

The Maxwell family is the most impulsive of all the families, while others have gained a reputation for a certain stratagem to magic and constant stream of beliefs (which usually vary slowly over time) the Maxwells are known to vary greatly from one Archon to the next, sometimes even to extremes.

They are the free thinkers of the circle, and without them (while none of the others would openly admit to it) they would stay the same stale Circle, never changing. Many innovative ideas have come from the Maxwell family, as a matter of fact the idea of structuring the Circle into Archons and electing a leader was their idea. Additionally they seem to have an aptitude to know the heart of a problem before the others and thus their insight is highly regarded.


	2. Circle Concepts

**Author's Note:** Please Note, I cannot reply to reviews if it is not made with a Fanfiction account and has no email which has been spaced to prevent censorship by

**Update: **Chapter 6 of The Secret Circle, simultaneously with the first chapter of The Sacred Circle is being aimed for a mid-January release.

Enjoy!

Circle Concepts

Re-binding Ritual:

The Re-Binding Ritual is an important ritual for the Sleepy Hollow Circle, this ritual is carried out once every 10 years. During this ritual the circle is rebound with the new family Archons (or with the same if no changes were made), it is little more than a formality however, as it does little to their magical potential.

It is important to note that while this ritual does not have any notable magical benefit, it does contain a downfall. During this ritual, they are technically no longer a bound circle until the ritual is complete. Regardless, it is an important event for their history and is likely to never change.

Hollow Circle:

A Hollow Circle is one of 6 circles (excluding the Sacred Circle) that exists in Sleepy Hollow. Each Circle falls under the governance of a member of one of the 6 families, while these families are not as highly regarded as the others they contain great prowess as witches. While the Hollow Circles follow almost all of the same conventions as the Sacred Circle there are notable differences, particularly in the case of Magic Crests.

Magic Crest:

Magic Crests are the result of continuous casting of a type of spell (most often the given witch's specialty), the continuous casting of a specific type of spell leaves a mark on the caster, similar to that of training a muscle. With magic memory however, it can be passed on to another (and only one), therefore Magic Crests also define a families magical lineage and plays a part in their way of practicing as well. Over the course of a few generations the Crest can be visible to the magically inclined when in use, the design one sees often reflects the nature of the crest itself.

Magic Crests are typically passed to a child at the age of 14, although there is no issue if the Crest is passed on at a later time. In fact in many cases the Crest is passed later on, especially if there are multiple potential suitors as is the case when the Crest must be passed to a branch member instead of their own child (this can occur if a child is unable to use magic or the Archon was unable to or did not conceive).

While it is known that casting a given magic type can be improved merely by the act of casting it, it wasn't until the Kingston's formerly demonstrated the idea that it could be transferred to another that this was adopted by the other families. It is because of the Magic Crest that the Sleepy Hollow Circle is considered to be the most powerful, as over time their power can only increase. While others have inquired about the methodology behind the passing of the Crest the Kingston's have been abundantly clear that it is not to be used by anyone outside of their circle.

There is a small exception to the Kingston's rule when it comes to the Hollow Circles, they do own their own Magic Crests however they are not taught how to transfer the Crest, instead all transfers must be made by a member of the Kingston family.

Magus Crest:

A Magus Crest is another invention conceived by the Kingston's, while a Magic Crest is extremely practical in its application it does contain one downfall, should the owner of a Magic Crest perish before passing it on all of its knowledge is lost. This is where a Magus Crest comes into play.

A Magus Crest is a beacon for a Magic Crest to automatically be transferred upon the owners' death, typically a family will deign three family members to receive a Magus Crest. One for the previous owner and two for potential successors - formally termed Duke or Duchess. A Magus Crest cannot specify priority and in the event of the owners death of a Magic Crest goes to the nearest corresponding Magus Crest.


	3. Titles and Advancement in Rank

**Titles**

Archon / Magister*:

An Archon is the formal term used to refer to the leader of a family belonging to the Sacred Circle (or Magister for a Hollow Circle), while it is not a necessity that the Archon is the possessor of the family Crest he is normally delimited by it. Given that the Crest can only be given to one person and their can only be one leader per family and only one Crest per family the two quickly became synonymous to each other. This is further enforced by the convention that a Crest be given to the child with the highest magical aptitude.

Grand Archon / Grand Magister*:

A Circle leader (formally termed Grand Archon for the Sacred Circle and Grand Magister for a Hollow Circle) is nominated and elected by the Archons or Magisters of the other families during the month of the Re-binding ritual. Although one would normally fear that intense political battles be launched every time this happens for the most part it is a slow transition during the 10 year gap where a particular family appears more apt to receive the title then another.

Archmage:

An Archmage is the direct liaison (or leader if you will) for a Hollow Circle, appointed by the Archon, they give this circle guidance and tutelage - however, for the most part Hollow Circles act independently. Archmages can veto any of the Circles decision although this is extremely rare as being a member of a Hollow Circle is coveted and few would dare tarnish their name by doing anything foolish. An Archmage typically is not an Archon (Although there is nothing preventing an individual from owning both roles), an Archmage is instead typically the intended successor to the Archon as being an Archmage is a great opportunity to build charisma, confidence and leadership.

Proving:

Inside the land of Sleepy Hollow, there is a great hidden secret, herein lays a great part of their power, few know the details but all know it exists, thanks to this secret once every month one interested Savant is tested for compatibility with the joining. Each of the Six Families chooses two candidates per year, and if the individual is lucky enough they are eligible to go through the Joining.

Joining:

The Joining is a ritual which the circle can execute once every year to transform a human into a witch, to be eligible the individual must first have passed the Proving. The ritual can only be executed on one individual who is selected amongst the 12 annual candidates after much debate between the six Archons. This new witch, now termed Blankblood typically has an unstable magical core, but their descendants magical core will be stable

Nullblood:

A Nullblood is the offspring of a witch who was born without the ability to use magic.

Blankblood:

A Blankblood is a mortal who by some means has obtained the ability to cast magic without the need for external stimuli.

Demiblood:

A Demiblood is a witch who is able to cast magic but has ancestry which is a mix of both witch and mortal blood.

Pureblood:

A Pureblood is the offspring of two witches.

Savant:

A Savant is a mortal who is fully aware of the existence of magic and posesses no magic of their own.

Mortal:

A human bearing no supernatural qualities of any sort (referred to as 'normal' for slang).

Initiate:

An Initiate is a self imposed title for a witch who is learning the basics of magic, Initiates can vary from being able to cast no spells to the capacity of casting higher tier common spells such as telekinesis and unlocking doors.

Apostate:

An Apostate is a self imposed title for a witch who has grasped the basics of magic and is now either dabbling in a variety of specializations or has begun the study of one. Apostates will also, in general, seek a Mage or Sorcerer and become their apprentice.

Mage:

A Mage is a title given by a Hollow Circle, or in special cases The Sacred Circles - and in extremely exigent circumstances a Sorcerer or Wizard may give out the rank. This title is for a witch who has fully understood the basics of their given specialization, now they're typical route is to continue understanding and advancing their strides in their specialization, continuing to master their craft. The title of mage is fairly common so it's rare that one would be addressed by this title except in a formal setting.

Sorcerer:

A Sorcerer is a title given by The Sacred Circle, a Mage may either apply, or simply try to garner the attention of The Sacred Circle. There is no clear criteria on what qualifies a witch to receive this title, as the decision is made mostly behind closed doors. Despite its secret selection process Sorcerers are among the most powerful witches in history, the highest number of Sorcerers which were ever alive at the same time was twenty-one, they truly mark some of the most diligent masters of their craft.

Wizard:

A Wizard is a title given by The Sacred Circle, a Wizard is a witch who has accomplished a great stride in magic, it is typical that a Wizard was a Sorcerer before receiving this title, but it is in no way a requirement. This great stride requires that the witch in question has created either: a new branch of magic, a great Ritual Spell or an artifact with extremely high capacity for power. Normally the title of Wizard goes to a group of people rather then an individual, the highest number of Wizards ever alive at the same time was five (all part of a group who obtained the title) and the title has only ever been given to 13 individuals, which marks how rare and coveted this title truly is.


	4. Types of Magic

**Author's Note: **This is the last chapter of Lore you will be receiving, and this is long because there is so much magic to write about, so sorry about the delay everyone.

**Update: W**e are aiming for a release of the next chapter of both stories by the end of the month.

Magic Types:

Absorption

This type of magic is designed to leech off of the energy of your opponent and surrounding area, users of this type absorb the enemies magic using two methods: absorbing wasted magic from spell casting, and absorbing energy from the spells itself (although this method is only efficient if the given attack is close to an energy form).

Once the magic is absorbed the caster may use the energy to cast their own spell or redirect the attack back to the aggressor, the closer the attack or energy type is kept to its original form the stronger it will be. Absorbed attacks are not stronger than the original - they can however be kept close to the original attack strength. In other words, an Absorption Mage is only as strong as their enemy.

Alchemy

This type of magic is designed to fuse materials together in the form of the users' mind, this is often used to create weapons and armor of great strength - often fused together with various enchantments. They are not restricted to this as they can also make various pieces of art, in addition to constructing buildings, and many have found profitable lives using their magic in this way.

In battle an Alchemy mage will typically use a material known as Orichalcum, this material has existed since Ancient times and is extremely malleable with alchemy magic - while still being one of the strongest metals available that can absorb magic. With this material an Alchemy mage will create weapons, shields and automatons on the fly.

Druid

This type of magic uses the force of nature itself to influence it in favorable ways. Unlike other forms of magic which use nature, druid magic is not a foreign force and therefore its effects are never rejected and in most cases are extremely efficient energy wise. One particular example is druid mages can increase the effectiveness of magical herbs and therefore increase the potency of their potions tenfold with ease.

In battle druid mages will typically use their strength to call upon nearby animals and flora to assist in combat, although on principle a druid mage prefers to avoid combat altogether. Using the very force of nature they can summon vicious vines to ensnare enemies and have animals viciously tear them apart. For defense, the ambient magic of the forest and nature can protect them - dampening the strength of the enemy force.

Elemental

This type of magic uses the casters strength to create elements of great force in proportion to the amount of energy put in. The vagueness of this category of magic has led to various sub-categories including: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Ice, Lightning, Storm, etc.

Mages in this category shine the most in battle, having one of the highest versatility of any other class. While mages may specialize in a specific element, in most cases the principles are easily transferable to other elements. For example, a Water Mage should easily be able to cast many mid-tier Ice spells, and since most mages have a weakness which is an elemental of some sort, an Elemental mage can easily take advantage of it - even if it's not their specialization.

High-Speed Divine Words

This type of magic has long since been lost to the times, it derives its power back when the language of the gods was used. This language not only used words to speak, but also used levels of magical energy and emotion. In antiquity even a mortal could cast magic as it required next to no magical energy.

In battle, mages of this type are unrivaled, simply by speaking their desires in the old language their sentences would come to fruition, simply asking for a typhoon would summon it, and simply speaking of someone's death would make it so. Perhaps the only weakness is the sensitivity of this language, the smallest mistake could replace a lightning strike for the enemy, to the caster being engulfed in flames. Therefore in battle, these mages need to remain cool and collected at all times and not make any mistakes with their knowledge of the Ancient Tongue - though not one mage of this type has officially been recorded since the Sacred Circle's inception, nor heard of in the past few centuries.

Healing / Defense

This type of magic is designed for support, the ability to heal varies greatly from person to person - but the most skilled witches will find few ails they cannot cure. Healing magic, manipulates the magical energy flow of the target with minor external influence from the caster, so they learn how to use magic with extreme efficiency. This is particularly helpful with absolute defense spells such as barriers, while being an ultimate defense, barriers are little more than magical energy condensed to the point where it can stop physical phenomena - and thus are extremely inefficient spells. In terms of non-absolute defenses they can increase the effectiveness of allied spells, in addition to providing general boosts to their: physical, mental, and magical wellbeing.

In battle, mages of this specialization can do little to defeat enemies on their own, they can however protect themselves for elongated period of time. Typically a Mage of this specialization will resort to a war of attrition, using their own magic sparingly to defend themselves until the enemy is weak enough to be neutralized.

Jewel

This type of magic is a slave to time and money, Jewel Mages derive their energy by storing unused magical energy into jewels to be stored over time. Once a jewel has been infused with magical energy they can be spelled to have a specific functionality such as: turn into a fireball, or even throw in a few spells together to create a synergistic effect. Jewels can be left un-enchanted to be used as components of a Boundary Field (a Field made of Magic Circles drawn in enchanted jewels for a home field advantage) or simply for an energy boost, although if a jewel is left un-enchanted it will slowly lose its stored energy. To prevent this jewels are often 'sealed' preventing loss of magical energy, but this also prevents storing more energy into it.

In battle, Jewel Mages are extremely versatile, having a vast array of spells at their disposal for next to no consumption of magical energy. This is all made possible thanks to their vast array of jewels, however once this supply of jewels is depleted they are quite vulnerable as they are limited to casting lower-tiered spells.

Memory

This type of magic requires as much creativity as it does dedication, users of this type typically use magic to increase their capacity to store information to incredible heights. This type of magic is not limited to influencing the caster, this magic can also be used to read the memories of others in addition to fabricating and erasing them.

In battle this type of magic can be used to render the enemy almost inert, the caster will either read the others memories to know all of their moves, read all memories and experience to cast their own magic against them, or create a series of false memories of past events in the battle essentially making any planning next to impossible. While this magic sounds omnipotent it is a magic which requires great concentration and finesse to execute, mistakes are easily made in the heat of battle and its effectiveness varies from person to person. Additionally it is extremely difficult to manipulate memories on a grand scale.

Projection

This type of magic is only limited by the users imagination and knowledge, while alchemical magic creates tangible permanent objects, limited by the rules of the physical world, this magic creates objects unbound by any laws. Anything the user can imagine can be created, these objects however can only last as long as the user can sustain them. The amount of magic needed to create and sustain objects decreases the more details are put into the initial design, for example: one could imagine a sword that can cut through anything, or one can imagine a sword made out of solid steel, the sword which can cut through anything will require almost 50 times the amount of energy to use than the steel sword simply because it has many inconsistencies with the world itself.

In battle, Projection users are almost unparalleled in strength - only limited by creativity they can often conjure up the perfect weapon to counteract their enemy, in addition to having favorite designs of their own. Heat of battle does make things more difficult for a Projection mage, as it will decrease time allowed for thinking and therefore create greater inconsistencies with the world causing a greater demand for magic. Their main weakness is their supply of magic, since creating and sustaining objects out of material that do not exist requires a lot of magic most users will try to wear them down.

Shamanism

This type of magic provides a near limitless supply of magical energy to the user, while other magic types are heavily dependent on the casters own source of magical energy, this magic uses the location as a source for magical energy. While this is highly beneficial, it also contains a downfall, the magic of nature is not as malleable - it already contains a preferred form and deviating from that strongly causes only weak spells to be cast.

In battle, Shamanists depend very much on the luck of the draw - restricted to the type of magic available in the battle land. They could have a generous home field advantage as they could be at a disadvantage - but either way with a generous supply of magic a Shamanist can often turn it to their favor.

Strengthening

This type of magic augments the natural capability of the caster to superhuman levels, giving himself the strength of an Ox and the speed of a Tiger and skin tough as diamond. It is not limited to increases the strength of what is already present, users can also add parts such as wings and claws to aid in battle. Additionally it is possible to strengthen allies, but this is significantly less common than simply strengthening yourself.

In battle, this magic is certainly helpful as it can turn the caster into a force to be reckoned with, in terms of pure strength, but it does require that the caster is able to physically reach his enemy. If fighting a mage using a magic in which distance is not a requirement a he may encounter great difficulty - but in most cases there are several strengthening options to surmount that obstacle.

Summoning

This type of magic is limited not by the casters own strength but by the strength of his fellow spirits. A user of summoning magic calls spirits into battle to fight for him, either by fusing with them (known as Polymerization) or summoning them into the physical world (known as Materialization). In order to have these spirits at the casters disposal he must arrange a prior contract, this contract will detail what the caster must do to maintain the arrangement, breaking agreed upon terms results in the loss of that spirits support.

In battle, this type is very limited by the spirits available to the user; however, if he has a vast array of spirits available he can properly counter and prepare any number of strategies. Since spirits typically are already extremely specialized in one field of magic, it is like having a vast array of specializations available at your fingertips.

Stealth

This type of magic, as the title implies, relies on trickery and subtlety to execute a perfect plan. It is extremely common in this type of magic that a user has a variety of invisibility, cloaking, concealment, poison, illusion, and teleportation spells. Mages of this type typically stay hidden in the background until it is time to strike making them quite the venerable opponent.

In battle, no mage should be feared more than a Stealth mage. He will lurk in the shadows cloaked ready to strike the fatal blow on a moment's notice - often dubbed 'Assassin'. Their weakness is their strength, if an opponent can successfully discover them before the fatal blow they can be easily neutralized, but you know … good luck with that.

Sun

This type of magic is the jack-of-all-trades, being the root of all magic this is the purest form of magical energy anyone can hope to control. This magic can mimic and cast any other type such as: Elemental and Healing, but it will fail to replicate more technical magic types such as: Jewel and Alchemy.

In battle, Sun magic is debatably the most versatile as any fully developed Sun Mage can cast nearly any mid-tiered spell, they can counter any strategy on a whim in addition to changing their own in a heartbeat.


End file.
